


It's Over... Isn't It?

by FlowerPuck



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: (sort of?), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Good Boyfriend Alec Lightwood, M/M, Magnus and Alec being totally supportive of each other is my kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-16 11:52:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11828178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlowerPuck/pseuds/FlowerPuck
Summary: Just because it's over, doesn't mean it's all in the past.





	It's Over... Isn't It?

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I'm not entirely sure what this is, but I was playing Fallout 4 and listening to The Diamond City Radio, and I imagined them dancing to this kind of stuff, and well... it snowballed.
> 
> But I'm proud of it.
> 
> I'd suggest listening to [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJKMji2688M) before (or while) you read the fic.

_“We’ll meet again,_  
_Don’t know where,_  
_Don’t know when,_  
_But I know we’ll meet agai–"_

 

“Magnus?”

Magnus started from where he was sitting on his couch. He hadn’t heard Alec come in. He hurriedly reached over to his record player and switched it off, then turned to face Alec, mustering up the most genuine smile he could.

“Alec! I didn’t expect you home for at least another hour.”

Alec leaned against the doorway, and smiled softly.

“My meeting with Luke didn’t go as long as I expected, so I thought I’d come home and surprise you.”

“Well, you succeeded.”

Alec looked over at the record player that Magnus had excavated from one of his many boxes of antique… stuff.

“So, what are you doing? Did I interrupt something?.”

Magnus smiled brightly, but Alec noticed that it seemed a little flat and didn’t reach his eyes.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just some old things of mine I found while going through some boxes.”

Alec frowned, then stepped over to the couch, depositing himself next to Magnus. He took Magnus’ hand, and looked him in the eyes.

“Magnus, if something is bothering you, you can tell me. You can tell me anything. You know that, right?”

Magnus chuckled softly, and put his hand on Alec’s cheek.

“Of course I know that. I told you, I’m _fine_.”

He patted Alec’s chest decisively.

“Now, since you’re home early, why don’t we have some dinner?”

Magnus stood up, and strode into the kitchen, calling back over his shoulder, “I’m feeling like pasta tonight. That sound good to you?”

After Magnus told him what happened with his parents, he assured Alec he would try to be more open, to actually talk about his problems. And it was obvious he was trying really hard. So for Magnus to immediately deflect and avoid Alec’s attempt to talk about it, and just change the subject, something must really be bothering him. It was definitely _not_ nothing.

“Yeah, that sounds great.”

* * *

 

During dinner Alec kept watching Magnus which, granted, wasn’t very unusual, but this was different. Magnus was obviously preoccupied with something, it didn’t take a genius to figure that out. He kept spacing out, even trailing off mid-sentence to stare off into the distance, lost in thought. Alec was starting to get a bit worried, what could be distracting Magnus this much? He opened his mouth to ask him.

“Magnus –“

But he stopped. He didn’t want to pry if Magnus didn’t want to talk about it. If he wanted Alec to know, he would tell him.

“It’s still pretty early. If you want to we could watch a movie. What was that one you’ve been trying to get me to watch?”

Magnus grinned. “It’s called The Giver and you’re going to love it.”

* * *

 

Alec slowly opened his eyes, and saw credits rolling on the TV screen. He must have fallen asleep during the movie. He reached over to put his hand on Magnus’ leg, then sat up when all he felt was empty couch. He glanced around the room, and was about to call out Magnus’ name when he saw him standing out on the balcony.

Alec walked over, and slipped outside; shutting the door softly behind him. Magnus didn’t acknowledge his presence, and continued to stare off into the distance. Alec walked up and put his arm around Magnus’ shoulders, but didn’t say anything. They stood like that for what felt like hours, but was probably only a few minutes, looking across the New York City skyline. Finally, Alec decided to say something.

“Hey, um, listen. I know earlier you said you were fine, and if you still don’t want to talk about it that’s okay, you don’t have to. But, are you sure you’re alright?”

There was a moment of silence… then Magnus sighed.

“No. Not really.”

“Oh. Okay. Do –” Alec paused, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don’t know…”

“If you don’t want to –”

“I don’t have to. Yes, I know, Alexander. You’ve only said it a hundred times.”

“I said it twice,” Alec muttered under his breath.

“And it’s not that I don’t want to tell you. It’s just that… it’s not important.”

“Magnus,” Alec said, turning Magnus to face him, “If it’s been bothering you as much as seems, it’s important. Whatever it is.”

Magnus looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, considering.

“Alright.”

Magnus walked over to one of the cushioned benches scattered across the balcony, then gestured for Alec to join him. Alec obliged.

“So, I wasn’t lying when I said I found the record player and record going through my old stuff, there’s just more to it than that. The record belonged to an old… _friend_ of mine from a long time ago. It was his favorite song.”

Alec shifted a bit, making himself more comfortable.

“Oh. Were you two…”

Magnus cut him off, “No, it wasn’t like that. We were friends. Nothing more.”

He hesitated for a moment, then continued.

“Well, we almost were. Something more, I mean. We could have been. We were very close. See, he knew what it was like to not be at home in your home, if that makes any sense. His mother immigrated to New York from Ireland when he was a kid, so he grew up here; but he always felt out of place among the American kids. He was also gay in the early 20th century, so there was that. We met during some parade – I can’t remember which one – and immediately hit it off. We became close very fast. I even introduced him to Ragnor and Catarina, and had almost plucked up the courage to talk to him about the way I felt… but then the US decided to join the war.”

Magnus fell silent, and Alec was at a total loss for what to do. He was about to say something – exactly what, he wasn’t sure – when Magnus started speaking again.

“He enlisted, of course. And I was _so_ angry at him for it. He came to me the day he did it, proudly showing off his uniform and papers, to tell me that he was going to fight in the war as a pilot. Before I knew it, we were shouting. I remember asking him what the hell he thought he was doing, throwing his life away for just another stupid war. He said that I had no idea what I was talking about, that I didn’t understand, but he had no clue. He didn’t know that I’d seen wars begin and end, and knew that nothing came of them but pointless death. I told him that I loved him, and tried to get him to stay, but he wouldn’t listen. He had to go.

We didn’t speak to each other for over a week. But, the night before he shipped out, he put on his favorite record and we just danced together – he tried to tell me something, but I told him he could tell me when he got back. When I woke up the next morning, he had already left. The next thing I knew, someone was telling me his plane had been shot down, and that was that.”

Magnus didn’t seem inclined to say anything else, so Alec just sat with him and hugged him tightly. After a while, a thought popped into Alec’s head.

“Wait. So, why was that not important?”

Magnus shrugged.

“Because, it was so long ago, and I’ve got a good life and good people who care about me. It’s the past. Shouldn’t it just stay that way?”

“You know that’s _not_ true.” Alec said, a bit incredulously, "Just because it was decades ago, doesn’t change the fact that you were hurt, and that you lost someone you cared about deeply. Just because it’s in the past doesn’t mean all your feelings and memories of him are just, gone. There’s a difference between getting over it, and moving on.”

“Alec,” Magnus laughed, “I’m over 400 years old, and you’re 23. How are _you_ the one imparting the words of wisdom in this conversation?”

“What can I say,” Alec said, “I’m mature for my age.”

Then, sobering up a bit, Alec continued, “Magnus, I am so sorry for what happened, and I will _always_ be here for you if you need to talk about it. I mean it. And I know I can’t change what happened, or make everything better, but there is something I can do.”

“And what is that?”

“I can dance with you.”

Magnus looked at him in surprise, then smiled sadly, “Oh, Alexander…”

“What, did I say something wrong?”

“No, it’s not that!” Magnus quickly reassured him, “It’s just, how do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“I don’t know, you’re just so,” Magnus paused, gesturing a bit, “so, _you_.”

He stood and, looking down at Alec, offered him his hand.

“And yes, I would _love_ to dance with you.”

Alec took his proffered hand, and they walked inside together. Alec reached down and turned on the record player, placing the needle on top of the record as it began to spin. Soft music started to fill the room as he turned back to Magnus.

“So, um, should I lead, or…?”

Magnus laughed, “I’ll lead, it’s fine.”

He put his hand on Alec’s waist and they began to sway slowly, as the crackling sound of Vera Lynn came wafting from the gramophone and out over the balcony, to be lost in the sounds of the Brooklyn night.

 

_"We’ll meet again,_  
_Don’t know where,_  
_Don’t know when,_  
_But I know we’ll meet again some sunny day,_

_Keep smiling through,_  
_Just like you,_  
_Always do,_  
_Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away.”_

**Author's Note:**

> (His name was Michael, BTW)
> 
> if you want to say hi, ask me questions, or bug me to actually write something again, my personal tumblr is [@notaboutthathetlife](http://notaboutthathetlife.tumblr.com)


End file.
